Happy Trails: Kids Next Door Season Finale

This just in from numbuh eleventy billion (aka mr. warburton):
after 6 seasons…78 massive episodes
an earth-shattering TV movie
a ridiculous crossover special
tonight… monday, january 21st… is the sooper triple mega giant premiere of the hour long codename: kids next door finale:
OPERATION: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.  (It’s Now The Extra Really Very Interesting End Wrap-Up Story)
cartoon network will be showing KND episodes all day, including my top 5 episodes (as if i could only pick 5), and then at 7pm the final KND story to end all KND stories will air.
it’s an awesome one… and if you don’t cry at the end you’re a mean, heartless person. but i still love you anyway!
so one last time:kids next door…BATTLE STATIONS!

Frederator Studios Blog

KND (although not one of my tippy top faves) was brilliant– the honesty & imagination into the KND storyline was amazing.

So, good luck, KND!  You did good, kid.

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Tags: CartoonNetwork, kids next door, tv, tweens, kids, youth

Noteworthy: Woogi World

Woogi World™ is a joint venture of the Family Home Foundation—a 501(c)3 organization and the Children’s Way Foundation. Both organizations are dedicated to helping kids achieve balanced living—teaching kids to use the Internet as a resource to build family strength and serve in the community. Woogi World™ educates, motivates, and engages children, but more importantly encourages them to get off the Internet often and participate in the real world.Woogi World™ teaches children the dos and don’ts of the Internet, which can be easily supplemented by involved parenting. Woogi World™ also provides kids practice for common Internet scenarios and even real-time coaching for those moments when problems arise—all within a safe, controlled environment.

Woogi World - About Us

Here’s a new elementary-based virtual world. It has filtered chat (selective word), educational games, and promotes safe online behavior.

Over all, there are elements with this world that give me the giggles– which, in this case, means it’s well done.

The world is 1 part virtual world/community, 1 part board game, 1 part edutainment. It’s great for the 2nd - 4th grade kids looking for a gateway VW & a edutainment experience. So far– this is my ulta-favorite in all the VW’s for the kids.

In their own words, here’s their safety additions.

1. We have parental controls allowing parents to limit the days, times, and duration their child can be in Woogi World™.
2. All children learn and agree to certain rules of chat before being able to use it. Every time a child chats they are constantly reminded of those rules.
3. Woogi World™ uses a safe chat dictionary, which limits the information a child can share.
4. Parents can disable the chat completely, should there be any concern.
5. A chat history is kept of everything typed and the child chat history is made available to parents.
6. Kids are able to mute (hide) another user should that user be bothering them.
7. Kids are able to report other kids to the Woogi World™ staff for abusing or breaking the rules of Woogi World™.
8. Our staff monitors the chat logs and is able to ban children who break the rules. Children must write an apology essay to return to Woogi World™. If the behavior continues, they are permanently banned.
9. We ensure the Woogi Name the child uses does not contain their real name, protecting their identity.
10. We require secure passwords for parents and children and make sure all log in requests are handled using SSL encryption.

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Tags: virtualworld, elementary school, kids, education, entertainment, online safety, parents, children, youth, edutainment

Game Time: 8 things you didn’t know…

…about me. Woot!

I was invited me to participate in the “8 things you didn’t know about me” blog-game by Mukund Mohun– a community guru of awesomeness.

Word is: The rules are fairly straightforward - 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules. 2. List EIGHT random facts about yourself. 3. Tag EIGHT people at the end of your post and list their names. 4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.

Here we go:

1. My fear of sharks that has led to me to a particular fear of TANKED areas (as in, fish tanks, aquariums, large glass walls with lots of water on the other side, etc etc etc)– makes going to the zoo interesting and aquariums impossible. Palms go sweaty, imagination goes bonkers, and insane jitters.

2. I love artichokes.

3. I’m related to John Deere, of John Deere tractors. He married my widowed great, great, great, great, yadda, great grandma after his wife (and my great, great, great, great, great, yadda, great aunt) died. Yep, he married sisters.

4. When moving from Chicago to Los Angeles– my books cost more to ship than the rest of my stuff combined (that includes furniture).

5. I kick some serious rear at Mario Kart. If i have a bad game? I turn into a pouting 6 year old. I HATE losing.

6. My family drove to Disney World every year for 17 years, leaving Chicago the day after Christmas and returning the 2nd of January.

7. I’m growing my hair out for locks of love, and it’s nearly to my elbows. I figure, all little girls want long hair. When it comes to child struggling with cancer– who am I to give them the bare minimum?

8. I make some MEAN chocolate chip banana bread.

Tagging: Amy, Joi, Liam, Chris, Lizzie, Anastasia, Sara, Raph

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Tags: izzyneis, Amy Jussel, Joi Podgorny, Liam ODonnell, Chris Rettstatt, Lizzie Jackson, Sara Grames, Anastasia Goodstein, Raph Koster, Online Community, Social Networking, Online Media Professionals